Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Aug 06/99) - The town's three hotels -- the Eskimo Inn, the Finto Motor Inn and the Mackenzie Hotel -- all raised their room rates last week.

The cost of a single room had been set at between $110 to $115 plus tax the previous week. They rose to $135. The rate for a typical double room rose to $150.

Corporate rates at all three hotels also increased. In one instance, a company's corporate rate had been $70 and $80 respectively at two of the hotels, but jumped to $120 at both.

The timing of the rises and the price-matching have led to speculation in Inuvik that a consortium involving at least one the hotels owners is in the process of acquiring all three establishments.

The owners have not returned telephone calls regarding the matter and, on Friday, the Eskimo Inn's management referred inquiries to Danny Smith and Greg Sim at The Hotel Group.

Sim said the group declined to comment on developments at this time.